Dr Ioannis Mavromichalis
Dr Ioannis Mavromichalis holds graduate degrees on pig nutrition from Kansas State University (MSc 1997) and University Illinois (PhD 2000).
He is the author of over 500 technical publications including journal papers, book chapters, reviews, articles, newsletters, and regular columns in technical magazines. He has also done considerable ghost-writing work, and he is now offering technical writing know-how to corporate clients worldwide.
In 2008, Dr Mavromichalis formed Ariston Nutrition SL, offering worldwide consultancy and nutrition services to pig producers, premix compounders, feed manufacturers, genetic houses, and additive suppliers. Services range from feed formulation to product development, from advice on additives to research design, from complete nutrition reviews to practical on-farm recommendations.
In 2007, he published a book titled “Applied Nutrition for Young Pigs”, a subject for which he is considered one of the top experts worldwide, combining in a single volume extensive scientific knowledge and wide practical experience.
In his previous occupation, Dr. Mavromichalis held field and executive technical positions in major feed nutrition suppliers in USA and Europe.
More on Dr. Ioannis Mavromichalis and his company Ariston Nutrition SL can be found at his website www.ariston-nutrition.com.
Latest Blogs (71-80 of 78)
Creep feeding: little and often
Once a farm decides to adopt creep feeding,
several questions pop up, like: what to feed the piglets and possibly even more
important: how to do that? The secret, if there is such a thing, is in
the old but wise advise of 'little and often'.
Creep feeding does definitely pay off
Even though creep-feeding is an old theme, I am quite
often asked (especially when producers switch around weaning age) whether it
pays off. Simply put, it does! But, there are certain conditions that must be
met for this feed management tool to work properly.
Technical grade glycerol
When manufacturing biodiesel an interesting by-product
appears: glycerol. This product could very easily be used as a feed ingredient.
Here's some ideas how to deal with glycerol in feed in the
future.
Compensatory growth
One of the main arguments in using low quality or low
density feeds for nursery and growing-finishing pigs is that late-life
compensatory growth (when feed gets cheaper) will make up for any checks on
early growth. So, is this true? Does compensatory growth really exist? The
answer is a bit complicated.
How to reduce dependence on animal plasma?
Animal plasma is a unique ingredient in that it invariably increases animal
performance, the more under less healthy conditions. Previous research has
clearly demonstrated it is the heavy molecular weight fraction of animal plasma,
which contains the immunoglobulins, that is largely responsible for improved
gastrointestinal health that manifests into enhanced growth, evidenced by higher
feed intakes post-weaning.
Fishmeal's X-factor
For a number of reasons (low fish stocks, high demand,
marketing), fishmeal has become quite expensive; in my opinion, too expensive to
be used without hesitation in piglet diets.
Cereal price pressure predicted during EU biofuel boom
If the European Union follows the example set by the
United States in mass ethanol production, then we can only expect the biofuel
industry to become a major consumer of local and imported cereals competing
heavily with the animal industry.
Tough decision regarding feed additives
The business of nutritional supplements, or feed
additives as they are widely known, remains a lucarative market for both their
manufacturers and distributors. As a result most marketing and research efforts
today are focused so heavily on additives that worldwide information transfer
and scientific progress lag behind.
